If artisan means something is hand crafted by someone who has practiced year after year, and really gives a shi* about where the ingredients come from and the final product at finish, then I am an artisan baker. Old school recipes, old school methods, top quality ingredients, and trying something new with what I have to work with, then yes. For me personally to call myself a artisan brewer, would be in my opinion, pretentious. My dedicated brew room is where my wife's car parks in the winter. Do I research the style I want to produce, of course I do. Do I search for the best ingredients, yes I do. Do I regulate every step during the brewing so I can repeat this recipe time after time, I had better. Sudbuster, I have no knowledge of how long you have been brewing, and I tip my hat to your experience simply from your post. I have only won one best of category, and to me it was a huge deal. Had my wife not have incessantly prompted to enter it, I wouldn't have. So, if my wife tells me again to enter a competition, I will. Otherwise, I don't brew for contest judges, I brew for me what I like, the way I want it made. Of course, SWMBO always has the last say
